Thursday, September 24, 2015

An Idea Worth Exploring

Chicagoans requesting the removal of gang graffiti or complaining about rats in their alleys would have their calls fielded by a private company rather than the city-run 311 operation under a proposal Mayor Rahm Emanuel floated Tuesday.

His idea of privatizing the 311 call center came in his 2016 budget address, saying it would save the city "about a million dollars a year" to replace union workers with outside contractors. It was one of the few pieces of actual news Tuesday, after the mayor's administration had spent the past week dribbling out many of their financial proposals for the coming year.

The mayor later said bringing in an outside operator would save the city the cost of making much-needed upgrades to the technology at the non-emergency information center, which would cost considerably more than the operations savings.

There are plenty of able-bodied officers at 3-1-1 who would be better utilized on the streets. There is a command structure in place that would be better serving in the Districts. Civilian operators, even outsourced ones could easily take the standard non-emergency calls about vacant lots, open buildings, burnt out streetlights, potholes, city service requests, etc.....essentially, the entire CAPS system.

This in turn might free up dozens of bodies hiding at HQ in the CAPS implementation office or whatever they're calling it now, headed by one of the eighteen Deputy Chiefs that do nothing except suck up money and manpower.

The Department was looking at automating much of this in the past, but how many votes can a robot deliver? The only questions become (A) what to do with POW's serving there along with the short-and-long-term medical people who aren't street ready, but capable of performing sworn duty functions, and (B) which functions must be performed by a sworn officer?

36 Comments:

Anonymous said...

Slipperiest of slopes. Partial "privatization" = road to total "outsourcing" to VaneckoJarrettLLC.

"Civilian operators, even outsourced ones could easily take the standard non-emergency calls about vacant lots, open buildings, burnt out streetlights, potholes, city service requests, etc.....essentially, the entire CAPS system."

This was just supposed to be the city working from day-to-day, filling holes and stuff CAPS was something entirely different, about "police/community relations."

Sounds like they are planning to eventually liquidate out call back... Nice Rahman... Privatelize, liqidate, and hopefully it will lead to cutting down big government budgets--- I just love sarcasm... Anyone got a good clinical psycologist?

You are completely off base and missing the point of what they are actually talking about, the privatization of 311 has nothing to do with the alternate response section, they are referring to the city services side of 311 which is entirely staffed by civilians. Those are the individuals that answer the phones when someone needs graffiti removed or a light pole is out. The officers handle all calls regarding police matters and do reports; two completely separate entities. They are talking of outsourcing the civilian side of 311, completely different Han the callback side or alternate response. The removal of some full duty alternate response officers to the street has been mentioned while talking about putting 319 more officers on the street but again 311 and alternate response are two completely different arenas.

Don't confuse 311 with callback. 311 is the civilian branch of OEMC for non emergency calls. If the police are needed they send the call to callback. Yes they are on the same floor but different units.

Read a story about how they train people in those phone boiler rooms over there -- they give them a local-small-talk script that's supposed to make you think they're American. "Hi, this is Julie, I'm from Wheaton, go Cubs!" They can never get rid of that accent, though. Nor could they get anything done for you.

Understand that a lot of computer companies, etc. moved their tech support/customer service back here because they got so many complaints.

Not that it's much better over here today; I routinely have to insist that the babbling girl on the other end slow down. "You're talking so fast that I can't understand a word you're saying." So they open their loose-leaf "Procedures" binder to the red index tab, "Difficult Customer." You get a bad one -- demanding to be "respected" or something -- just hang up and call back in a few, you'll get someone different who might be a little better. Especially in "healthcare," it is their job to field calls from ill, confused, exhausted people who are not always going to be at the top of their game. The customers are not there to please them; it's kind of the other way around.

Want to hear ignorance? Entire first level of customer service at AT&T. Don't know the difference between DSL and wireless, don't know their own policies, etc. Ask them for their employee number, jot it down, ask for a supervisor, and work your way up the chain. There are some really good, competent people a couple of levels up who can fix something for you in half a minute, but you have to work a little to get to them.

So the city will horribly, inevitably move in this direction too. Tacitly admit that a lot of its people are incompetent, but will retain them while paying out even more to private-sector incompetents. Savings, hell. Another no-bidder to some hooked-up "minority-owned" outfit. I can see the "mismanagement and misappropriation" scandal already. That is the way things are done here.

Yeah, Rajnit Telecom Services in Bangalore is definitely the way to go...

I think there is some confusion here. 311 and Alternate Response Section are 2 separate entities. 311 operators are all civilians and they take city service requests. Alternate Response Section is staffed with sworn officers who take police reports. Privatizing 311 will not free up any officers or command staff as there are no officers or command staff assigned there. People get 311 and ARS confused because they share the same building. I think what the mayor wants to do is take jobs away from unionized civilian workers. Now privatizing ARS might be a problem unless you want civilians with no police experience determining how to properly classify and document criminal acts. ARS does take reports for criminal sexual assault, hate crimes and robberies. I think sworn officers are still needed there.

I must say that there are two characters I have enjoyed from time to time...Chalky (even though I felt guilty for laughing) and The Keesing Bandit. But this new Joe Biden crap is by far getting to be the most annoying and the least funny bit on here at the fastest rate.

Cicero PD utilizes a private company for their Dispatcers-affiliatedwith Superior Anbulance, which Cicero also outsources. The911 callers get the same 'professional' response as they wouldIf they were talking to a 'fast food' employee in a drive thru.Terrible idea for the City.

Outside contractors, like he ones who buy low and sell (to the City) high. Outside contractors like the ones CPS has. Outside contractors like secret ownerships (Daley Family & Friends). Never trust a Democrat.

I hope they put some of these officers where the taxpayers live. I live in the 22nd district and the police out here are "less than motivated" to say the least. Crime is really becoming a problem out here, especially during the daylight hours and they just dont seem to care. Don't a lot of them actually live in this neighborhood? I support the police and will willingly take a property tax increase to fund their pensions, but seriously, how about a little proactive police work? Stop the burglars and auto thieves before they steal my stuff.

"Cicero PD utilizes a private company for their Dispatchers-affiliatedwith Superior Ambulance, which Cicero also outsources. The911 callers get the same 'professional' response as they wouldIf they were talking to a 'fast food' employee in a drive thru.Terrible idea for the City.

9/24/2015 05:31:00 PM

Some towns have "outsourced" their ambulance billing to some outfit, PO box in Carol Stream. Same yibble-yibble-yibble phone boiler room, talk as fast as they can and go frantic if you ask them to repeat. Can't wait to get you the hell off that line. You're messing up their "efficiency evaluation."

This sort of thing represents our "growth sector" for jobs. Maybe some of the 10,000 Caterpillar employees who are on their way out can get into this line of work.

Hospital room today fills up with "case managers" and "social workers" and an anti-smoking lady (God bless her) who opens up with a lecture and more people with clipboards until you have to ask them to leave so that you can eat your first small meal in 36 hours.

The more third and fourth and fifth and sixth parties you can bring in on a deal, the less health care, or anything else, will cost, right?